Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers to Mainstream

LESSON 2 Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers to Mainstream

ESSIE COLEMAN was an unlikely pioneer. Quick Write She was one of 13 children born to a former B slave in Texas sometime in the 1890s. Her father was part African-American and part Cherokee and Choctaw Indian. Her mother, an African-American, Bessie Coleman was an didn’t know how to read. But she had big ideas extraordinary woman from a very humble background. for her little girl. She made Bessie want to When you read the story “become somebody.” about her, you can see how having a strong supporter— It took a while, but Coleman fi gured it out. The someone who has confi dence “somebody” she wanted to become was an in you and convinces you airplane pilot. that you can achieve your dream—helped lead her Coleman managed to graduate from high school. to success. Describe an She even had a semester of college in Oklahoma. experience when you or someone close to you got She loved to read. One of the things she read about support in reaching a goal. was aviation. During World War I, she was living in Chicago, working as a manicurist. The newspapers were full of stories about the air war in Europe. Coleman decided she didn’t want to remain on the Learn About ground. She didn’t want only to read about aviation. She wanted to fl y. • the barnstormers’ signifi cance When she went to sign up for lessons, doors closed • notable pilots who were in her face. Yes, there were a few women pilots— barnstormers but a black woman? No one she talked to could • the barnstormers’ imagine such a thing. signifi cant contributions to aviation But she had a powerful friend—Robert S. Abbott. • how barnstormers He was the editor of the Chicago Weekly Defender. changed public opinion of aviation His newspaper had sponsored a contest to fi nd the best manicurist in black Chicago. Coleman won that contest.

78 CHAPTER 2 Developing Flight So Coleman had an “in” with Abbott. She went to see him. He liked her idea of fl ight lessons. And he had an Vocabulary idea of his own. Go to Europe, he said. People there • mentor will be more accepting of you. He had another tip: • barnstormer Learn French before you go! • spectators So Coleman went back to school—night school this time. • altitude She learned French and traveled to Europe. • aerodynamic • enthusiasts After a few months, she ran out of money. So she • amphibian planes returned to the United States. She went back to work. She saved as much money as she could. Finally she had enough to return to Europe. She looked for the best fl ight teacher she could fi nd. She ended up studying with the chief pilot for Anthony Fokker, the famous aircraft manufacturer. Fokker saw Coleman’s talent and encouraged her. He became her mentor. A mentor is a trusted coach or guide. On 15 June 1921, Bessie Coleman got her license. She was the fi rst licensed black woman aviator in the world.

Bessie Coleman’s French pilot’s license National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, SI-99-15416

LESSON 2 Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers to Mainstream 79 The Barnstormers’ Signiﬁ cance

Bessie Coleman’s story is inspiring to anyone striving to make a dream come true. Her story is also important because of the kind of aviator she was. Coleman earned fame as a barnstormer—a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt fl ying and parachuting. The term barnstorming comes from the time pilots would fl y over a small rural town to attract attention, then land at a local farm. In the 1920s, the term became attached to stunt fl ying. Historians give stunt pilots like Bessie Coleman credit for sustaining the aviation industry during its early years. Barnstorming shows drew crowds of spectators—people who come to see an event or show—during and after World War I. These daredevil pilots, along with the stuntmen and parachutists who worked with them, entertained people in the days before there were theme parks or television. Some pilots worked in teams. Their acts were called “fl ying circuses.” Once the war was over, these pilots became the public face of American aviation. The aircraft industry had boomed during the war. Britain, France, Germany, and Italy produced tens of thousands of planes. And the United States was catching up. By the war’s end, it had almost 4,000 planes and about 9,500 men in the air service. But on 14 November 1918, three days after the war ended, the US government canceled $100 million worth of airplane contracts. The country’s leaders didn’t yet see how important aircraft could be for national security in peacetime. Within three months, 175,000 workers in the aircraft industry lost their jobs. Aircraft production dropped by 85 percent. The Army dumped its surplus warplanes onto the market. That was a big blow to the aircraft companies. Who would buy their new planes when Uncle Sam was selling old ones at bargain prices? Commercial and private aviation did not yet exist. There were no regularly scheduled fl ights for business or vacation travelers. Cars weren’t yet popular either. Most people traveled from one city to another by train. In fact, even though aviation had been important during the war, by 1918 most Americans had still never seen an airplane. The barnstormers changed that. Many of them were former Army pilots. Since military aviation had been cut back, a large number lost their jobs. They leaped at the opportunity to keep fl ying. These pilots enjoyed showing off the skills they had mastered in combat. They excelled at tight turns and daring maneuvers. And they often fl ew the same aircraft—planes such as the Curtiss JN-4 (“Jenny”)—that they had trained on in wartime.

80 CHAPTER 2 Developing Flight Developing Flight 81 Lincoln Beachey Courtesy Air Force Historical Research Agency to Mainstream Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers A replica Curtiss JN 4 “Jenny” “Jenny” Curtiss JN 4 Curtiss JN 4 A replica A replica Kletr/Shutterstock Notable Pilots Who Were Notable Barnstormers Were Pilots Who LESSON 2 Born in San Francisco, Beachey (1887–1915) was (1887–1915) Born in San Francisco, Beachey one point, Orvilleone of the top barnstormers. At all time.” called him “the greatest pilot of Wright In his Curtiss biplane, Beachey thrilled crowds with his dives. He could snatch a scarf or a handkerchief off the ground using the tips of his wings. On ew his new plane, rst fl Beachey fi 1915, March 14 ying upside a more powerful monoplane. While fl down, he pulled too hard on the controls to pull ight. As a result, the wings out of the inverted fl snapped off and the monoplane crashed in San Beachey had However, killing him. Francisco Bay, He was the ying career. rsts in his short fl many fi rst American pilot to perform the inside loop, fi rst to make an airplane tail slide on purpose, the fi gure out how to pull out of a deadly rst to fi the fi y through a building. rst person to fl spin, and the fi For the barnstormers, fl ways less risky than it had been for ying was in some For the barnstormers, fl them as they performed maneuvers over red on fi combat pilots. No enemy guns ying, was still dangerous. stunt fl ying, especially elds and county fairgrounds. But fl fi in air accidents. Among them were Bessie Coleman Many of the barnstormers died Beachey. and another pilot named Lincoln Bessie Coleman was just one of several Americans who gained fame as barnstormers Bessie Coleman was just one of I, the War the public eye. Like the pilots of World and helped move aviation into barnstormers were a special breed. A Barnstormer Arrives

SOMEONE ON THE GROUND would fi rst notice it as a buzz or a whine. Much too loud for an insect, they said. It sounded like an engine. But what was an engine doing up in the sky? Could it be one of those newfangled fl ying machines? Or maybe a farmer would see a shadow fall across his fi eld— a shadow much too big to be that of a bird. It’s an airplane! A barnstormer had come to town! The pilot would typically circle over a village or a small town to get people’s attention. Then he’d land in a nearby fi eld. Word would spread. People would gather to get a look at the aircraft. The pilot would offer rides. Some hardy souls would volunteer to go up. They would typically get a fi ve-minute fl ight for $5—the equivalent of about $50 today. Barnstormers liked to show what they could do wherever crowds gathered at places like county fairs and carnivals. Flying circuses, conducted by teams of pilots, became a popular form of entertainment. Pilots who weren’t part of the circuses often teamed up with stuntmen. The stuntmen had an amazing bag of tricks. “Wing walking,” for example, was a real crowd pleaser. With the pilot fl ying a biplane in a circle, the stuntman would leave the cockpit. He or she would walk out on the edge of the lower wing, then climb to the upper wing and walk back toward the cockpit. To give viewers an extra thrill, some wing walkers would stand on their heads.

82 CHAPTER 2 Developing Flight Developing Flight 83 Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie Phoebe Fairgrave Underwood & Underwood, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, cph 3b43433 In 1935, Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie made one of her biggest contributions to Fairgrave Omlie made one of Phoebe In 1935, system. This was a when she developed the “air marker” American aviation in which names of towns and orange navigational markers network of black the country. of buildings all across letters on the roofs painted in 12-foot were was North, and which direction ed the location, showed These markers identifi 16,000 airport. Eventually of the nearest and direction indicated the distance in the every air route miles—guided pilots along 15 markers—one every United States. Waypoints Air Markers Omlie’s to Mainstream Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers Margery Brown, another female barnstormer, wrote about Margery Brown, another female barnstormer, y: “Halfway between the Earth why women wanted to fl and sky one seems to be closer to God. There is a peace give. of mind and heart, a satisfaction that walls cannot ying I just ache all over to be When I see an airplane fl up there.” For pilots such as Coleman and Omlie, as well as for For pilots such as Coleman and an exciting time. women across the nation, it was passage of the With Opportunities were widening. Amendment to the US Constitution, women won 19th rst time the right to vote. Many cast ballots for the fi presidential election. in the 1920 She ran her own fl ying circus. She was the fi rst woman She was the fi ying circus. She ran her own fl a licensed transport pilot. in the United States to become woman appointed to rst the fi she also became In 1933, assistant a federal government job in aviation—special Advisoryfor air intelligence for the National Committee eventually became the for Aeronautics, the agency that Administration (NASA). National Aeronautics and Space As you read earlier, most barnstormers were former military most barnstormers were aviators. But women As you read earlier, them was Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie. also were taking to the skies. Among Even Charles A. Lindbergh, best known for his 1927 solo fl ight across the Atlantic solo fl known for his 1927 Even Charles A. Lindbergh, best read more about (You’ll beginning of his career. Ocean, was a barnstormer at the Lindbergh in the next lesson.) LESSON 2 The Barnstormers’ Signifi cant Contributions to Aviation

Historians call the years between 1919 and 1939 the “golden age of aviation.” Pilots set one record after another. They fl ew faster. They attained greater altitude—the height above Earth’s surface. They served as test pilots. (It’s probably fair to say that in those early days, every pilot was a test pilot.) During this period airplanes evolved from slow-moving, cloth-and-wood structures to faster aircraft made of metal. These planes were more aerodynamic— designed with rounded edges to reduce wind drag. Engines became more reliable. This was another key advance. Soon wealthy aviation enthusiasts—strong supporters or fans—began to offer prizes for the fi rst pilot to achieve a certain goal. In 1911, for instance, newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst offered $50,000 to the fi rst pilot who could fl y across the United States in 30 days or less. As you read in Chapter 1, Lesson 4, Calbraith Rodgers was the fi rst to fl y the distance. But he didn’t win the prize. He took almost three weeks too long. Engine trouble, among other problems, slowed him down. Another wealthy aviation enthusiast was Raymond Orteig. In the early 1920s he offered $25,000 for the fi rst nonstop fl ight from New York to Paris. Again, the engines weren’t up to the task. But within a few years, engines had improved enough to make transatlantic fl ight possible. Some pilots then turned to a new challenge: polar exploration. From childhood, Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd had longed to explore the North and South Poles. Trained as a fl ier, he advanced both aviation and polar exploration. In 1926 he and his pilot were the fi rst to fl y over the North Pole. Their aircraft was a Fokker monoplane with three Wright Whirlwind engines. In 1926 Byrd fl ew to the South Pole. His expedition included three Loening amphibian planes—aircraft designed to take off and land on either water or land.

84 CHAPTER 2 Developing Flight Developing Flight 85 Then-Lieutenant Commander Richard E. Byrd Byrd E. Then-Lieutenant Commander Richard right) and US Navy Pilot Floyd Bennett (second from in 1926 the North Pole from (far left) on their return Courtesy US Navy/Naval History and Heritage Command to Mainstream Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers After World War I, barnstormers brought the magic of fl ight to the American heartland. heartland. ight to the American the magic of fl I, barnstormers brought War After World ends of the attention to the helped direct E. Byrd Richard the 1920s, And beginning in and South Poles. earth—the North Naval the United States he graduated from to a famous Virginiafamily, Born1888 in to the rank he rose I. Eventually War in World He was a naval aviator Academy in 1912. admiral in the US Navy. of rear ights. He also rst transatlantic fl fi and navigational aids for the Navy’s He developed plans Ocean. the Atlantic ight across for his solo fl prepare helped Charles Lindbergh in the North began with an assignment in western Greenland, polar adventures Byrd’s rst the fi cer Floyd Bennett, were Offi he and his pilot, Warrant Atlantic. On 9 May 1926 the Medal of Honor, Pole. For their feat, both men received y over the North people to fl turned Byrd his attention south. For the next three not usually given in peacetime. Finally, of Antarctica. exploration than anyone else to direct decades, he did more ew to the South Pole. Bernt and his pilot Byrd Balchen fl On 28 November 1929, The rst of many trips. It was the fi c research. team carried out scientifi They studied meteors, cosmic rays, magnetism. and Earth’s weather, living ve months spent fi Byrd In 1934 miles away from alone in a hut 123 as his main base. It was as far south any human had ever lived. and he liked being He was a celebrity, in his famous. He knew that interest for exploits helped build public support c exploration. He raised a great scientifi too. deal of money for research, he was the senior By the 1950s cial in charge of US government offi He was an active South Pole research. until the last months of his life. explorer 68. at the age of He died in 1957 The Right Stuff Right The Aviator Polar Byrd: E. Richard Admiral Rear LESSON 2 How the Barnstormers Changed Public Opinion of Aviation

Since most Americans had never even seen an airplane, whatever ideas they had about fl ying probably included many fears. The barnstormers’ demonstrations didn’t do away with people’s fears. After all, spectators sometimes saw dreadful accidents. But the barnstormers’ air shows certainly created an interest in fl ight, even in rural areas and small towns. They publicized the airplane and brought romance to fl ying. Some people believe that without the barnstormers, aviation might have died altogether in the United States. Stanford University historian Joseph Corn describes the importance of the barnstormers in his book, The Winged Gospel: Crowds assembled at the smallest airfi eld to watch planes take off and land, while the public voraciously consumed the many stories about aviation in newspapers and magazines.… So central was the airplane in the American imagination, in fact, that many people expected that they would soon take to the sky, fl ying their own family plane.… But more than anything, the airplane symbolized the promise A 1919 newspaper advertisement of the future. for a barnstormer exhibition © 2002 National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian As people around the world would soon fi nd, that Institution (SI Neg 85-12327) future was closer than most of them realized.

86 CHAPTER 2 Developing Flight Developing Flight 87

to Mainstream Expanding the Horizon from Barnstormers

Why do you think the barnstormers’ air shows changed people’s ideas air shows changed people’s Why do you think the barnstormers’ about aviation? What do historians give stunt pilots like Bessie Coleman credit for? give stunt pilots like Bessie What do historians I ended? War industryWorld after to the US aircraft What happened Beachey? Who was Lincoln in aviation? appointed to a federal job rst woman Who was the fi ight? advanced progress in fl aviation enthusiasts offer that What did wealthy rst to do? pilot the fi What were Richard Byrd and his air shows? What were the effects of the barnstormers’ what did the airplane symbolize? According to author Joseph Corn, CHECKPOINTS CHECKPOINTS CHECKPOINTS CHECKPOINTS CHECKPOINTS CHECKPOINTS CHECKPOINTS 9. APPLYING YOUR YOUR LEARNING APPLYING Using complete sentences, answer the following questions on a sheet of paper. sentences, answer the following Using complete 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Lesson 2 Review Lesson ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ LESSON 2